Reflection mode XAFS investigations of reactively sputtered thin films

Amorphous Ta-oxide and Sn-nitride thin films were prepared by reactive sputter deposition on smooth float glass substrates and investigated ex situ using reflection mode XAFS. The absorption coefficient μ and its fine structure were extracted from the measured reflection mode XAFS spectra with a method based on the Kramers-Kronig transform. Bond distances, coordination numbers and Debye-Waller factors were determined by a detailed XAFS data analysis and compared to those of reference compounds. In addition, changes of the atomic short range order of the sputter deposited Ta₂O₅-films induced by a thermal heat treatment in ambient air were examined as a function of the annealing temperature.